Well flow control device



Dec 20 1966 w. F. NELSON ETAL 3,292,707

WELL FLOW CONTROL DEVICE Filed May 15, 1964 IN VENTOR BY W United StatesPatent() 3,292,707 Y WELL FLOW CONTROL DEVICE Wayne F. Nelson and Gil R.Boyd, Waxahachie, Tex., as-

slgnors to Koehring Company,` Waxahachie, Tex., a corporation ofWisconsin Filed May-15, 1964, Ser. No. 367,662 4 Claims. (Cl. 166224)lThe present invention relates to an improved release.

mechanism for a well device. v

Such well devices have been secured in a well pipe and are provided witha flapper or back-check valve which is retained in inactive positionuntil released. Such devices are commonly used with :automatic lill-updevices such as are disclosed Yin the Wayne F. Nelson Patent Nos.2,973,006 issued February 2-8, 1961 and 3,072,145 issued January 8,1963. l

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved deviceincluding a releasably held segment maintaining a back-check valve ininactive position and means associated with said segment for releasingthe segment and thereby allowing the back-check valve to become active.

One object is to provide an improved device wherein a releasably heldseating segment which maintains the back-check valve in inactiveposition will be released by receiving an element closing a bore formedpartly by said segment and by an annular element and allowing a pressurebuild-up above the closure element to move the segment to releaseposition in which position the closure element is discharged downwardlybelow said segment and said annular element.

Another object is to provide an improved device having a releasably heldsegment maintaining a back-check valve in Iinactive position wherein thesegment provides support for the closure element when the segment isreleasably held in its upper position and the segment when in its lowerposition moves downwardly in the device activating the back-check valveand allowing the closure element to pass through the device.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification by reference to the accompanying drawingsforming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of an improved welldevice, constructed ,in .accordance with the invention and sh-owing theback-check valve maintained in inactive posit-ion.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view, illustrating the releasably held segment ofthe device in its lower or released position and the back-check valve inits act-ive position subsequent to release by the segment.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFIGURE l.

In the drawings, the numeral designates a cylindrical tubular bodyhaving a bore 11 extending therethrough. The tubular body is composed ofouter body member 12 and inner body member 13 which is positioned andheld within outer body member 12 by concrete filler 14. The outer bodymember 12 is internally threaded at 15 to provide means for engaging thedevice in a well pipe string. The lower end of tubul-ar body 10 as shownin the figures is externally threaded at 16 to provide means forengaging the device in a well pipe string. It should be noted that thelowerY portion of the device may be formed in concrete to have a snubnose whereby the device may act as the shoe on a well string. In theform shown in the figures the device will act as a collar in the wellstring. Inner body member 13 will be com- 3,292,787 Patented Dec. 20,1966 "ice posed of a number of component parts and may be made in partsas shown in the drawings or yin any other combination of componentswhich are deemed suitable for economy of manufacture and assembly.

Annular inclined Valve seat 17 is provided in the upper interior ofinner body member 13. Flapper valve or back-check valve 18 is pivotallymounted on pin 19 which extends between bosses 20 of inner body member13. Spring 21 or other suitable resilient means is provided to urgeiiapper 18 into engagement withl seat 17. The interior of inner bodymember 13 is enlarged at the point of installation of flapper valve 18as compared to bore 11 so that when flapper valve 18 is in inactiveposition, as shown in FIGURE 1, it does not provide any restriction tothe flow through tubular body 10. This enlarged area of inner bodymember 13 is designated by the numeral 22. Below enlarged portion 22,inner body member 13 vis provided with downwardly facing shoulders 23and 24 against which external shoulders 25 and 26 of sleeve member 27abut. Concrete filler 14 engages sleeve member 27 to retain sleevemember 27 within inner body member 13 as shown. Segment member 28 ispositioned within the window 29 in sleeve member 27 and is releasablyheld in its uppermost position as shown in FIGURE 1 by shear pin 30. Asclearly shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 window 29 which is open at the top ofsleeve member 27, is substantially longer than segment member 28 andwhen segment member 28 is not held by shear pin 30 it may movedownwardly within window 29 until it engages ledge 31 forming the bottomof window 29. The segment member 28 is provided with an upwardlyextending linger 32 which engages apper valve 18 to hold apper valve 18in its inactive position as shown in FIGURE l at all times when segmentmember 28 is releasably held .in its upper position by shear pin 30.

Sleeve member 27 is provided with an upper bore 33 which issubstantially the Ysame fas the bore 11 through tubular body 10 and alower bore 34 which is larger than bore 33 for the purposes as arehereinafter more fully explained. Segment member 28 has an inner arcuatesurface 35 conforming to the `surface of bore 33. Surface 35 on segmentmember 28 ares inwardly to form seating surface 36. Seating surface 36of segment member 28 is formed to support a closure element 37 such as aball which is shown in broken lines in FIGURE l in position closing thepassageway bounded by the bore 33 of sleeve member 27 and theinnerarcuate surface 35 of segment member 28. n

The device of the present invention with segment member 28 secured inits upper position to inner body member 13 by shear pin 3i) will beconnected as a collar or Vshoe on a well string and run into the welluntil it is desired that the device provide a back-check control. Atsuch. time, a closure element 3 7 such as a ball or plug is injectedinto the well string and pumped downward into the device. In FIGURE l,the closure element 35 is shown in broken lines as a ball sealing thepassageway formed by bore 33 of sleeve member 27 and surface 35 ofsegment member 28 and supported by seating surface 36. With closureelement 37 in this position, an increase in pressure in the well stringabove the device will exert a downward force on segment member 28causing shear pin 30 to shear and moving segment member 28 to its lowerposition wherein seating surface 36 is opposite lower bore 34 of sleevemember 27. In this position finger 32 will have moved downwardly belowflapper valve 18 thereby activating flapper valve 18 and with segmentmember 28 resting on ledge 31 sufficient area will be provided betweenbore 34 and seating surface 36 to allow cl-osure element 37 t-o passdownwardly through the device of the present invention. With flappervalve B 18 activated, it will cooperate with seat 17 to prevent upwardow through bore 11. In such position the device of the present inventionmay be used to cooperate with other devices wherein this device providesa primary or secondary back-check valve to prevent the return ow of wellfluids upwardly through the well string.

As stated the device of the present invention may be used as a collar ina well pipe string or as a shoe. Also, the device may be used incooperation with automatic fill-up devices such as are disclosed in theWayne F. Nelson Patent Nos. 2,973,006 issued February 28, 1961 and3,072,145 issued January 8, 1963. The flexible valve portion of suchdevices is used to control the filling of the well pipe and any suchdevice may be used in conjunction with the device of the presentinvention whereby the flow of fluid from the well bore into the casingis regulated during the running of the device.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the closure element used toactuate the segment member from its upper to its lower position, wherebyfiapper valve 18 is released and activated, will pass completely throughthe device. Upward flow through the device is prevented by theengagement of ffapper valve 18 with seat 17. yAs has been shown, priorto the release of apper valve 18 by the shearing of shear pin 30 :andthe movement of said segment member 28 to its lower position fluids mayflow through the device in either direction without restriction otherthan the size of bore 11 through the device. The release and movement ofsegment member 28 to its lower position cannot accidentally occur butwill only occur when a closure element 37 has been `seated within bore33 of sleeve member 27 and pressure exerted thereabove to shear theshear pin 30.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the Vinvention kisillustrative and explanatory thereof and Various changes in the size,shape and materials, as well as the details of the illustratedconstruction, may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: y

1. A well ow control device adapted to be installed in a well string,comprising a body having a dow-way therethrough and adapted to beconnected to =a well string,

said body defining an annular valve seat surrounding said How-way,

a apper valve adapted to engage said annular valve seat and close fiowupwardly through said iiow-way,

means urging said apper valve toward engagement with said annular valveseat,

an annular element positioned within said body below said fiapper valveand having an upper Ibore land a larger lower bore dening a passagewaythrough said annular element,

a segment member movable only vertically within said annular ele-mentfrom an upper position to 'a lower position, and

means releasably securing said segment member in its upper position tosaid ibody,l

said segment memlber hav-ing a projection extending inwardly to define aclosure seat in said upper bore when said segment member is in its upperposition,

said projection on said segment member being positioned within saidlarger lower bore in said annular element when said segment member is inits lower position to eliminate said closure seat.

2. A well ow control device according to claim 1,

including a closure element adapted to be dropped through the wellstring and said flow-way through said body to seat on said projection ofsaid segment member sub-y stanti-ally closing ksaid upper bore of saidannular element,

said securing means releasing said segment member responsive to apredetermined pressure above said closure element whereby said segmentmember is moved responsive to such pressure to its lower position,

said lower larger :bore and said projection on said segment member whensaid segment member is in its lower .position defining a passagewaysuiciently large for said closure element to pass therethrough.

3. A well ow control device adapted to be installed in a well string,comprising la body having .a iow-way therethrough and adapted to beconnected to a well string,

said body defining an annular valve seat surrounding said How-way,

a apper valve adapted to engage said annular valve seat and close flowupwardly `through said ow-way,

means urging said flapper valve tow-ard engagement with said annularvalve seat,

an annular element positioned within said body below said apper valveand having an upper bore and a larger lower 'bore defining a passagewaythrough said .annular element,

said annular element :also dening a window,

a segment lmember mounted fior vertical movement within said window insaid annular element from an upper position to a lower position,

means releasably securing said segment member to said body member toretain said segment member in Iits fupper position, said annular elementand said body cooperating to retain said segment member within saidwindow, said segment member having a projection extending inwardly .todefine la closure seat in said upper boreV of said annular element whensaid segmentmember is in its upper position,

said projection on said segment member being positioned in said lowerbore when said segment memiber is in its lower position to eliminatesaid closure seat.

4. A well W control device according to claim 3,

including a closu-re element adapted to be dropped through the wellstring and said flow-way .through said body to seat on said projectionof said segment member substantially closing said upper :bore of saidannular element, Y j

said securing means releasing sai-d segment member responsive to apredetermined pressure above said closure element whereby said segmentmember is moved responsive to such pressure to its lower position,

said lower larger bore and said projection on said segment member whensai-d segment member is in its lower position defining a passagewaysuiciently la-rge for said closure-element to pass therethrough.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,768,695 10/1956 Althouse et al. v.- 166--225 3,007,527 11/ 1961 Nelson 166-2253,011,559 12/ 1961 Muse et al 166-255 3,032,050 5/ 1962 Clark IS7- 493.9X 3,072,145 1/ 1963 Nelson 137--525.1

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

D. H. BROWN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A WELL FLOW CONTROL DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE INSTALLED IN A WELL STRING,COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A FLOW-WAY THERETHROUGH AND ADAPTED TO BECONNECTED TO A WELL STRING, SAID BODY DEFINING AN ANNULAR VALVE SEATSURROUNDING SAID FLOW-WAY, A FLAPPER VALVE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAIDANNULAR VALVE SEAT AND CLOSE FLOW UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FLOW-WAY, MEANSURGING SAID FLAPPER VALVE TOWARD ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANNULAR VALVESEAT, AN ANNULAR ELEMENT POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BODY BELOW SAID FLAPPERVALVE AND HAVING AN UPPER BORE AND A LARGER LOWER BORE DEFINING APASSAGEWAY THROUGH SAID ANNULAR ELEMENT, A SEGMENT MEMBER MOVABLE ONLYVERTICALLY WITHIN SAID ANNULAR ELEMENT FROM AN UPPER POSITION TO A LOWERPOSITION, AND